Astra was heading back to the castle, feeling anxious by the second as she hurried but she was already too late. She saw everyone in the castle checking every single nook and corner for her. So she decided to sneak in from the backdoor.
"Your highness, I busted the whole castle in search of the Princess but she is nowhere to be found. Don't worry though, your highness we will surely find her in a short time...." Robane trailed off terrified to the bones as he stared at the bloodshot eyes of the king.
Silently Robane took his leave without uttering a single word before he called forth the furious avenging animal who could devour anyone to rush up the search and also to protect Astra in case of any unforeseen mishap.
Astra wanted to slip off easily into her room without meeting eyes with her father but things didn't end as she wanted.
While climbing the fence of the backyard Robane found out that it might be Astra.
Tiptoeing towards her he said, "Astra!", desperation leaking off his voice.
This sudden call startled the hell out of Astra as she heard someone's voice from her back.
Her face was pale. "hark! I hear my heart throbbing"
Astra turned back to see the one who caught her off guard.
"Princess where have you been, damn you are on a block of thin ice with the way you disappeared and worried the king .....
"Oh my lord, Robane, I'm already so strained here and you are making me more terrified....."
Feeling merciless, Robane shook his head in disappointment at her. "Where have you been...." he inquired in a loud voice.
"Shhhhuuusshhhh, why are you bellowing Robane? If dad finds me I'll be dead. I just wanted some 'me time' in this pleasant weather. What's such a big deal about wanting freedom and a little escape once in a while?"
*Meh* Astra clicked her tongue as she continued, "I was stuck in this mundane day-to-day life so I thought of taking some break. And besides that, I need to clear my head and I can't face dad."
Astra started loading off everything she had in her brain and heart to Robane. Ceaselessly in one breathe she started pouring her heart out in dismay...
"I've just been trapped in this cell created by dad. I'm done with his curtailment and him confiscating and limiting every single action that I dare to venture on. You know what…-
Robane cut her off realizing that they are no longer alone.
"Ahem, princess we should head back," said Robane raising his brows and directing his gaze behind Astra's back as if to warn her not to continue her train of emotions in speech.
However, she didn't get the hint that King Elihom was already standing behind her.
"Hold on Robane! I'm soo done with such…" she cried out in frustration. Why doesn't anyone get me?
"ASTRA!" Elihom called her out in a high-pitched voice.
Anyone could sense the rage and fury dripping through his voice.
Astra felt chills down her spine after getting caught red-handed by Elihom. Even though she knew she wasn't wrong but she still didn't want to end up hurting her dad for disobeying him. After the incident of her meeting the boy in the mountains she couldn't help but blame her dad for the things going on in the kingdom and yet out of respect and love for him, she didn't want to inundate him with all the questions she's having in her mind.
"Are you degenerated? Where have you been have you been without my permission?" Elihom yelled at Astra, his fingers clenching to hold his rage.
Astra was frozen on the spot without uttering a single word. She didn't even turn to face him.
"I'm talking to you Astra! Have the courtesy to give me an explanation. Are you listening? What's with this attitude? BEHAVE!" Elihom shouted completely seethed by her defiance.
Astra didn't turn her face towards Elihom making him infuriate further.
"Don't make me lose my temper. What with this imprudent behaviour? You are behaving like a Brat and an unfilial princess."
"Princess, turn towards my highness, please!" Robane requested with a soft pleading tone.
Astra with a heave of sign faced her father.
"What in the world happened to you? Why are there bloodstains on your robe?
Answer me! Are you hurt somewhere?"
Robane rushed towards Astra to check if she's hurt and utterly flustered to see her in such a state.
"Please leave me alone. I'm doing alright!" Astra tried to convince the two men in the room to no avail.
Elihom and Robane looked at each other at the same time in disbelief due to Astra's peculiar behaviour.
"Talk to me Astra, let me know what's going on" Elihom said in a perturbed tone, his eyes softening from the earlier harsh gaze he had assumed.
Astra took a deep breath and broke down into tears as she cried out,
"I thought our kingdom is an oasis but here, there's mayhem goin on. Why do you keep hiding things from me, dad? Stop with this attitude of being so overprotective. You have made me strong enough to deal with anything. Leave me alone and let me live my life in peace." Puffing with anger and frustration Astra finally revealed all that has been weighing down on her for so long.
Elohim was jarring and halted at what Astra had said!
"Princess, how arrogant and imprudent of you to offend his majesty. You don't know the reasons so you better be quiet and don't ever try to speak in such a manner. He loves you and he can't afford to lose you. I hoped you are mature enough to understand and know better but looking at you is overwhelmingly disappointing now." Robane replied, his tone forlorn and cold. As fond as he is of Astra, she has hurt his majesty and in doing so offended his kingship. Although what's more sorrowful is the fact that she failed to see Elihom's intentions and misplaced his concerns as authoritative parenting. If only she knew…...
"Well, am I the only one whose looking for answers since you also seem to know everything too Robane. If I question then I turned out to be disappointment, huh?" tears gleamed in Astra's eyes. She felt hurt and misunderstood.
"Enough! You are grounded in your chambers." screamed Elihom. He could not believe that she continued to be defiant to this extent.
"But dad....."
"It is declared! That's it! Even a stroll in the garden will be accompanied by four assigned knights."
Astra burst into tears covering her face with her hand and ran towards the castle heading for her room.
Elihom heaved a sign of grief and disappointment.
"My majesty we should probably tell everything to the princess. It would be better than keeping things from her. Princess will surely understand!" Robane advised Elihom, his heart strings pulling at seeing Astra in such a state.
"No! Remember your promise. You aren't supposed to say anything to her. In the right time, I'll let her know everything" Elihom declared and dragged his hands across his face feeling restless at the turn of the current events.
*******************
Azazel is a 20 years old young boy. A son of a peasant with responsibilities filled to the brim. He has short, straight blonde hair neatly parted to the right in a fringe falling over his eyes, with the left side slicked back. He had dark black cold eyes that eye everyone around cynically. As a child, Azazel is depicted as an empathetic, kind-hearted person, denoted by his sympathy towards his family's plight during his childhood. He undergoes a radical change as he grew older, eventually becoming a duplicitous, callous, and sarcastic individual who regarded everyone with open disdain.
Laying in the ground still thinking about Astra and her power. He was envious of how privilege she is to have everything a person wanted. Reminiscing the moment where he was getting healed by the illumination he saw Astra practice as he laid on the ground. He continued to ponder on the magical powers Astra beholded.
"I wish I had what she got!" Azazel said in a disappointing manner.
A creepy and ominous voice coming from behind the woods reached his ears saying eerily, "You want to acquire more what she got I can make you the strongest!"
That voice made him unpleasant, gave him a feeling of unease and fear. But he really wanted to become powerful.
"Who....who are you show yourself to me!" stammeringly said Azazel.
The woman whose voice he heard seems to know his vulnerabilities and was trying to strike there.
"The law of the world states that the weak can only live in the whim of the strong. Their lives are worth less than grass or insect."
Azezal having the flashback striking in front of his eyes after hearing those words. He remembered every single incident of being treated like an insect meant to be crushed under people's feet.
"So can you make me powerful?" Azazel asked dubiously.
"Yes! I can but it will cost a price. Are you ready to pay?"
"Reveal yourself to me first! And then tell me what's the price!?"
Cadaverous and frail, the woman was stripped of her humanity. The warmth of her skin, long since drained, leaving only a sickly pale stain to decorate her rotting flesh. Spindly arms hung from her torso, long and bony, scarcely able to hold carry the weight of her skeletal hands. Her fingers were trembling claws with nails filed into sharp points. Everything about her was disturbingly disproportionate. Her misshapen head hung awkwardly on a narrow neck, threatening at any moment to snap off. Her scalp was a patchwork of bald scabs, speckled with long, tangles of hair falling over her face, untamed and wild, and secreting an oily film. Through sunken, black eyes, she stared into oblivion with a dead gaze. Slowly, her thin lips parted, and a vile grin crept across her decayed face, revealing a set of rotten fangs and black gums.
Azazel was disgusted as he looked at the uncanny old woman with widened eyes.
"What da fa**....why da fawk you don't give power to yourself first. Darn it....I got goosebumps here." Azazel screeched fazed by her appearance.
"Do you want powers or want me to curse you for contemplating and judging me so."
"Obviously, I got apprehensive bish....like what da fawk!"
"So the deal is that you have to sign the blood contract which states that you have to take Astra, the girl who healed you this morning, as your beloved wife and then you will embark on destroying her and her kingdom. What do you say?"
"Wait, what!? She's a princess? Why are you asking me to ravage her? I've so many questions, you better answer all of...."
"It's a give and take contract you make, no buts or what-ifs involved. Something for something. An eye for an eye, a teeth for a tooth. If you want to be powerful and strong you have to ruin her. That's it! Anyways, she's a girl who shouldn't have what she got, right?" the witch said with a smirk and a wink knowing that the boy will give in to her at the end.
"Before any contract, I should know everything...."
"Listen, kid. I can't stand you! I can make you powerful and rich only on the condition I asked for. Just answer in 'yes' or 'no'" the witch sighed.
"Ammmm, I really want to be what you offering but how can I ruin.....
"I'll help you in ruining that girl. Just sign up for the contract."
Azazel with utter hesitation said out loud "Yes, okay make me the most powerful person on this planet and I don't care what it takes." With this, he finally gave in.
The woman headed towards him in quick strides. Azazel stepped back but she held his left arm and asked him to use his thumb to take the blood with the pocket knife she put in his hands. As Azazel slit the skin of his thumb, she finally pressed his oozing blood on the paper which she took out from her cloak.
With this, the contract was sealed with Azezal's blood marking the beginning of a volatile and disruptive future.